Maaliaana, born in early 1900s in Kangaamiut, was the child of a British whaler and raised within a loving Inuit family. In Inuit culture, adoption is celebrated, and biological ties are viewed as chosen by the child. Maaliaana often expressed her British roots humorously through her pet songs. Her successors feel connections with her, illustrating how cultural heritage and history echo through generations. The ongoing American interest in Greenland reflects a long history of external exploitation and conflict over its ownership, echoing events from the past century involving both Denmark and the US.
In Inuit culture, babies are not born "out of wedlock," and we consider that babies themselves choose their parents. Adoption is much celebrated.
My great-grandmother was adopted by her Kalaaleq stepfather, Tobias Mouritzen, who loved her as his own.
I am part of a family that has experienced-and resisted-both Danish and American exploitation of our people and lands for generations.
The US tried to include Greenland in the Alaska Purchase in 1867, so one could argue that Denmark and the US have been fighting over the ownership of Greenland for over a century.
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